On many research projects but little productivity

[ToMD2025]

I am on 6-7 research projects but dont really have much to show for it. I have 1 paper, 4 posters and 2 abstracts. Planning on applying tp IM programs with a 251 step 2, would love to get into a top IM program. No aoa from a mid-tier school. I have good leadership and volunteer experiences but worried that this lackluster research and no aoa may not help my case. Any thoughts?

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[GoSpursGo]

Maybe you should focus on the work you have already been given before you branch out to other projects.

 

[SurfingDoctor]

You could always just have AI write stuff for you...

REMOVED: Successful management of an Iatrogenic portal vein and hepatic artery injury in a 4-month-old female patient: A case report and literature review

This article has been removed: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal ().

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

In summary, the management of bilateral iatrogenic I’m very sorry, but I don’t have access to real-time information or patient-specific data, as I am an AI language model. I can provide general information about managing hepatic artery, portal vein, and bile duct injuries, but for specific cases, it is essential to consult with a medical professional who has access to the patient’s medical records and can provide personalized advice. It is recommended to discuss the case with a hepatobiliary surgeon or a multi- disciplinary team experienced in managing complex liver injuries.

 

[ToMD2025]

You could always just have AI write stuff for you...

REMOVED: Successful management of an Iatrogenic portal vein and hepatic artery injury in a 4-month-old female patient: A case report and literature review

This article has been removed: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal ().

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

🤣

 

[wysdoc]

I am on 6-7 research projects but dont really have much to show for it. I have 1 paper, 4 posters and 2 abstracts. Planning on applying tp IM programs with a 265 step 2, would love to get into a top IM program. No aoa from a mid-tier school. I have good leadership and volunteer experiences but worried that this lackluster research and no aoa may not help my case. Any thoughts?

How can you do “lustrous” (opposite of lackluster I suppose) research when you are trying to be in on 6 projects going on at once?
Not only that, but research in general is a slow and methodical undertaking which sometimes yields a relevant scientific result and sometimes does not.
How do your PIs perceive your quest for names on a paper - vs - work contributed to their research project?

 

[ToMD2025]

How can you do “lustrous” (opposite of lackluster I suppose) research when you are trying to be in on 6 projects going on at once?
Not only that, but research in general is a slow and methodical undertaking which sometimes yields a relevant scientific result and sometimes does not.
How do your PIs perceive your quest for names on a paper - vs - work contributed to their research project?

It’s not that I’m not doing the work that I need to do. Some projects get delayed because we are waiting on approvals and others because the PIs go ghost for a bit. My PIs are willing to put me on the papers but the issue is that it’s taking so long to get there.

 

[GoSpursGo]

It’s not that I’m not doing the work that I need to do. Some projects get delayed because we are waiting on approvals and others because the PIs go ghost for a bit. My PIs are willing to put me on the papers but the issue is that it’s taking so long to get there.

There is no shortage of students who try to get "put on" papers. The number of students who can actually drive a project forward are much more rare. If nobody is putting together a draft or synthesizing the data, either ask if you could take a stab at it or just do it.

Frankly, the PI almost certainly doesn't care about this clinical paper and it matters much more to you than it does to them. If you want to see the paper move forward you'll need to do some of the driving.

 

[ToMD2025]

There is no shortage of students who try to get "put on" papers. The number of students who can actually drive a project forward are much more rare. If nobody is putting together a draft or synthesizing the data, either ask if you could take a stab at it or just do it.

Frankly, the PI almost certainly doesn't care about this clinical paper and it matters much more to you than it does to them. If you want to see the paper move forward you'll need to do some of the driving.

These papers definetly don’t matter to the PIs because I have completed 2 papers and sent to all authors for feedback and all authors except the PIs responded. How can I publish if they’re not responding to my email asking them to review the paper and approve/reject before I can submit it to journals? It’s easy for you to assume that I haven’t been productive research wise because I’m being lazy but sometimes that’s just not the case

 

[GoSpursGo]

These papers definetly don’t matter to the PIs because I have completed 2 papers and sent to all authors for feedback and all authors except the PIs responded. How can I publish if they’re not responding to my email asking them to review the paper and approve/reject before I can submit it to journals? It’s easy for you to assume that I haven’t been productive research wise because I’m being lazy but sometimes that’s just not the case

No judgement intended.

This is a common problem, even now as junior faculty. The key to these emails is “please reply with edits and comments by (date 7-14 days from now), at which point we will plan to submit.” Then remind them when there are 7, 3, and 1 days left. If you’re then still waiting on the senior author, text or call them. And then if you still don’t get a response, just submit.

 

[ChordaEpiphany]

These papers definetly don’t matter to the PIs because I have completed 2 papers and sent to all authors for feedback and all authors except the PIs responded. How can I publish if they’re not responding to my email asking them to review the paper and approve/reject before I can submit it to journals? It’s easy for you to assume that I haven’t been productive research wise because I’m being lazy but sometimes that’s just not the case

Your PIs understand the grind, as do residency programs. I'm a year out from my PhD and I think my most important work is probably 2 years away from publication. That's often how research goes. Explain to them your career timeline and say, "I would be incredibly grateful if we could set a goal for acceptance by September so that I can highlight this work in my residency application."

If they are supportive PIs who want you to succeed, they will oblige. If they are jerks, they were never going to help you anyway.

 

[ToMD2025]

No judgement intended.

This is a common problem, even now as junior faculty. The key to these emails is “please reply with edits and comments by (date 7-14 days from now), at which point we will plan to submit.” Then remind them when there are 7, 3, and 1 days left. If you’re then still waiting on the senior author, text or call them. And then if you still don’t get a response, just submit.

Thanks for the advice! I will keep trying

 

[JuicedToTheSocks]

Don't need much research if any for IM.

but cut down the # of projects and focus on finishing stuff.

 

[SurfingDoctor]

It’s not that I’m not doing the work that I need to do. Some projects get delayed because we are waiting on approvals and others because the PIs go ghost for a bit. My PIs are willing to put me on the papers but the issue is that it’s taking so long to get there.

I’m gonna be honest. Those PIs are **** but it’s somewhat your fault for picking them. There are a multitude of incompetent people in academia (probably 4 in 5 as a ballpark), and frankly, it’s somewhat on the trainee to do their own due diligence to find out who sucks and who doesn’t. You can’t believe nor should you believe that any PI wants to help you. Some in academia actually do, but it’s a minority. Most don’t and you’ll soon realize that the person most invested in you… is you.

That being said, since they are fu-ktards, and you have nothing to apparently lose, be annoying to them. They’ll either do what you want them to do to make you go away or they’ll keep ghosting you because invariably those who ghost you don’t give AF about you anyway… so what do you have to lose.

I’ve gotten much further by being a nuance to benefit myself than being quiet and hoping someone cares enough to speak up on my behalf, the latter which almost never happens.

 

[Just D.O. it]

Don't need much research if any for IM.

but cut down the # of projects and focus on finishing stuff.

You do to solidify a shot at “top” IM, unless you are using the term very liberally